HR1608: HR1608 House Study Committee on Municipal Electric Franchise Fees; create

26 LC 56 0643 House Resolution 1608 By: Representatives Scoggins of the 14 th, Cannon of the 172 nd, McDonald III of the 26 th, Kelley of the 16th, Gullett of the 19th, and others A RESOLUTION Creating the House Study Committee on Municipal Electric Franch ise Fees; and for other1 purposes.2 WHEREAS, municipalities alone are allowed to contract with elec tric light and power3 companies to receive franchise fees for the use of municipal electric infrastructure; and4 WHEREAS, residents of the unincorporated portions of counties are paying for the franchise5 fees the municipalities are receiving through such franchise fee contracts; and6 WHEREAS, this arrangement is based on outdated ideas about coun ty and municipal7 ownership of property; and8 WHEREAS, it is imperative that county residents not be forced to subsidize municipalities9 and a solution be reached that better represents each party's contributions to the electric grid.10 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:11 (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee12 on Municipal Electric Franchise Fees.13 H. R. 1608 - 1 - 26 LC 56 0643 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall comprise five members of the House14 of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives with15 one of such number designated as chairperson of the committee.16 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,17 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or18 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.19 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee20 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or21 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and22 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.23 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.24 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided25 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.26 (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member27 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds28 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds29 appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement30 of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative memb ers, and for the31 reimbursement of expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to32 or otherwise available to their respective agencies.33 (6) Report.34 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that35 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the36 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to37 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.38 H. R. 1608 - 2 - 26 LC 56 0643 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for39 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)40 of this paragraph.41 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of42 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 43 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with44 the Clerk of the House of Representatives.45 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the46 House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu47 thereof.48 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.49 H. R. 1608 - 3 -